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Shovels Online is a powerful web-based tool to help you find building permits and contractors anywhere in the USA.

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Search Functionality

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How Does the Search Work?

The Shovels dashboard uses an “AND” search logic. When you select multiple search criteria, the results show permits that match ALL selected criteria, not just one or the other. You can search by description keywords. This is useful for finding:
  • Specific brand names (like Tesla)
  • Building materials
  • Equipment types (such as heat pumps)
The search system does not account for typos or terminology variations. Contractors may use different abbreviations (like “SFR” instead of “single family residence”), so keep this in mind when searching.

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How Many Results Can I Browse?

A search always reports how many records match in total, but each plan limits how many of those you can page through: The match count itself is not limited, so a search can report tens of thousands of matches while you browse the first 10 or 100. Once you reach the limit, narrow your filters—by city instead of state, or a shorter date range—to bring the result set into view. Paid plans can also choose how many results appear per page. To work with more records than you can browse, export the results to CSV or query the API. Both require a paid plan and are metered in credits, at one credit per record. See shovels.ai/pricing for plan details.

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Permit Statuses

Permits in Shovels Online can have the following statuses: Learn more in our permit status details article. Search for contractors based on the types of permits they’ve pulled. The contractor search provides:
  • Business names
  • Total lifetime number of permits pulled
  • Detailed contractor information (for subscribers)
  • Contact information
  • History of permits pulled
Not all permits include contractor information. Some jurisdictions don’t require contractors to provide their contact details.
When viewing permits, you’ll see:
  • Permit status
  • Address (when available)
  • Detailed information about the work being done
Note that some permits may not have addresses—this is common with new construction permits where an address hasn’t been assigned yet.

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Data Export

Paid plans can export search results as CSV files, covering the full set of matching records. Export is unavailable on the Free plan. Each exported record spends one credit.

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Contact Information